For the second year running, the Rob Ingram Youth Summit Against Violence will bring together Portland youth to discuss the kinds of violence they face every day.

The event – totally free to all youth under 21– will be held on Saturday March 16 at the Ambridge event center, 1333 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard, Portland.

Organized and run by Multnomah Youth commission, the event is designed to give young people room to speak their truth.

Breakfast will start at 9:15 a.m. followed by activities, a panel featuring young people, sharing stories, lunch, and sessions where youth tell adults their opinions about how to deal with different kinds of violence and how to help youth succeed.

Discussions will look at violence in the home, in relationships, on the Internet, in gangs, from police, and in school. Restorative justice, an alternative to punishment will also be discussed. Youth willing to co-lead sessions on gang violence, police and cyberbullying are still needed at the event.

Derriel Ingram, right, and DJ O.G. One were at last year's event

Raffles in the afternoon will deliver 40 prizes, including: two pairs of Soul Republic headphones, a Wii game system; front-row tickets to the Portland Timbers v. the L.A. Galaxy; $25 gift certificates to Fred Meyers, I-Tunes; Regal cinemas and many more; four basketballs, one signed by the entire Trailblazer team; an I-Home; backpacks and 10 soccer balls. The main prize will be a $250 computer tablet.

Rob Ingram was director of Portland's Office of Youth Violence Prevention until his death in Novemeber 2011. Ingram was a champion of youth and understood the difficulties facing youth of color, low income youth and gang-affected youth.

The event is an opportunity for youth from all communities to make their voices count. Upcoming City of Portland budget decisions could strip funding from youth work programs, such as Summer Works and Summer Youth Connect, for example.

One in four Portlanders is a youth under the age of 18. All youth are invited to attend the summit, eat, and take part in this event